Amusement slide



Jan. 20, 1970 L. A. MOULTON AMUSEMENT SLIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April28, 1967 INVENTOR.

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4770/6/Vf V5 Jan. 20, 1970 1.. A. MOULTON AMUSEMENT SLIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April 28. 1967 INVENTOR.

Jan. 20, 1970 55 A. Moz/Lra/v INVENTOR.

,4 TTO/E/VEYS United States Patent O 3,490,765 AMUSEMENT SLIDE Lee A.Moulton, Fair Oaks, Calif., assignor to Super Slide Corporation(Nevada), Sacramento, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Filed Apr. 28,1967, Ser. No. 634,694 Int. Cl. A63g 21/02 US. Cl. 272-56.5 9 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior artdeveloped in a search is: Townsend 1,239,848; Rohmer 1,648,196; McIntyre2,224,405; Steel 277,625; Boyle 880,964; Beauregard 2,581,572; andMalcolm 1,603,393.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a multiple slide whereby several persons may slidesimultaneously and which is provided with convex, concave and straightsections so arranged that a person may be accelerated, then deceleratedso as to maintain an average as well as a peak velocity within safelimitations, yet provide a relatively long slide.

Second, to provide a multiple slide in which the slide units are similarin transverse section and incorporate novel means whereby concave,convex and straight units may be joined end-to-end and side-by-side toform slides of different configuration.

Third, to provide a multiple use amusement slide which is easy toassembly and disassemble into easily handled sections fortransportation.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 is a substantially diagrammatic sideview of the amusement slide.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an edge view of a flat slide unit.

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of a convex slide unit.

FIGURE 5 is an edge view of a concave slide unit.

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged, fragmentary transverse view, takenthrough 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view, taken within circle 7 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, taken within circle8 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURES 9, 10, 11 and 12 are diagrammatical profiles, showing a few ofthe other slide configurations.

The operating surface of the amusement slide comprises a plurality ofslide units 1, arranged end-to-end, and side-by-side. Each slide unitincludes a pair of marginal hand rails 2, and one or more pairs ofintermediate hand rails 3. Each of the marginal hand rails 2 is borderedby a narrow, laterally extending marginal strip 4, which terminates in adownwardly extending edge flange 5.

Several slide units are joined side-by-side by means of bolts or otherfasteners extending through contiguous edge flanges 5. The marginal handrails 2 are thus arranged 3,490,765 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 work. Thespaces between the pairs of hand rails form slide courses 7.

All of the slide units are initially formed in a flat condition.Selected slide units are then roll formed to form convex units 8 andconcave units 9.

The slide units may be joined end-to-end by flanges similar to theflanges 5; however, it is preferred to overlap the ends of the slideunits, that is, the preceding slide unit overlaps the succeeding slideunit. The hand rails at the entrance end of each slide unit are reducedin width, and in height, the distance equal to the thickness of themetal comprising the slide unit, as indicated by 10 in FIGURE 7.

The slide units may be joined end-to-end to provide various slideconfigurations. Convex and concave slide units may be joined end-to-end,but this is not preferred. It is preferred to provide a single, flatslide unit between the convex and the concave slide units, and towardthe bottom of the slide, to provide an additional flat, horizontal slideunit. Then, at the lower end of the slide, to provide severalhorizontal, flat slide units. The slide is thus divided into inclinedsections 11, and essentially hori zontal sections 12. The length andangularity of the inclined sections 11 are so related to the lengths ofthe horizontal sections 12 that the deceleration occurring along thehorizontal sections subtracts a substantial portion of the accelerationdeveloped on the preceding inclined section. This is important forreasons of safety. It is highly desirable that the velocity at the crestof each inclined section be low enough that a person using the slidewill not become airborne, as this might result in injury when the personstrikes the inclined portion of the slide.

The desired deceleration may be accomplished without the sections 12being strictly horizontal. They may be slightly inclined downward,providing that the proper deceleration occurs, or may be inclinedupwardly to obtain a greater deceleration in a shorter length. At thetop of the slide, a person starts from essentially an at rest condition,but the following crest the person will have residual velocity in orderto avoid the possibility that the person will stall on the horizontalsection. As a consequence, it is desirable that the next horizontalsection be somewhat longer to compensate for the added velocity gainedon movement down the second inclined section.

The slide units are mounted on a conventional sup porting framework 13,which includes structural members 14, to which the slide units aresecured by fasteners located in the region of the chambers 6. With thisarrangement no fastening means are required within the boundaries of theslide courses 7 or the hand rails 2 and 3.

A walkway 15 is provided along either or both sides of the area occupiedby the slide units, and a marginal fence 16 is provided. At the top endof the slide, a platform 17 provides access to the slide courses 7.

Reference is directed to FIGURES 9, 10, 11 and 12 which show a few ofthe many slide configurations that are possible by use of the straightunit 1, convex unit 8 and concave unit 9.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it is not intended to limit the same to the details of theconstructions set forth, but instead, the invention embraces suchchanges, modifications and equivalents of the various parts and theirrelationships as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

.1. An amusement slide comprising:

(a) a plurality of slide units each having at least a pair of slidecourses of longitudinal, convex, concave or flat contour:

(b) a supporting structure;

(c) said slide units joined end-to-end and mounted on said structure toform a series of downwardly slop ing sections which accelerate a personriding thereon and an interposed series of essentially horizontalsections on which the person decelerates;

(d) the proportions of downwardly sloping and horizontal sections beingsuch that the major portion of the acceleration occurring on eachdownward section is counteracted by deceleration occurring on thesubsequent horizontal sections, to maintain peak velocities within apredetermined limit;

(e) each slide unit is formed of sheet material and includes at leastsaid pair of slide courses, each said pair of slide courses separated byupwardly folded integral hand rails forming a channel therebetween.

2. An amusement slide, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) sets of said slide units are arranged side-by-side, adjacent marginsthereof having upwardly folded integral hand rails, there being edgestrips bordering said marginal hand rails and means for joining saidedge strips whereby each pair of said marginal hand rails forms achannel therebetween.

3. An amusement slide, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the supporting structure is a framework supporting said slide units;and

(b) securing means within said channels join said slide units to saidframework.

4. An amusement slide comprising:

(a) a supporting framework defining the contour of a slide;

=(b) a plurality of slide units formed of sheet material and arrangedend-to-end and side-by-side and contoured longitudinal and installed onsaid framework;

(c) a plurality of side-by-side intermediate hand rails on each slideunit dividing each slide unit into at least two slide coures; and

(d) marginal rails separating laterally adjacent slide units.

5. An amusement slide, as defined in claim 4, wherein:

(a) said hand rails are disposed in pairs to define channelstherebetween;

(b) and fastening means are disposed in said channels for joining saidslide units to said framework.

6. An amusement slide, as defined in claim 4, wherein:

(a) certain of said slide units are flat, others are longitudinallyconvex and still others are longitudinally concave;

(b) said installed slide units defining longitudinally a series ofsloping sections to accelerate movement of a person sliding thereon andinterposed essentially horizontal sections to decelerate movement of aperson sliding thereon.

7. An amusement slide comprising:

(a) a supporting structure;

(b) a plurality of modular slide units defining a slide surfacecomprising a plurality of side-by-side courses or lanes, said slideunits being formed of sheet material and fixedly mounted on saidstructure by fastening elements;

(c) said slide surface being provided with longitudinally extendingguide means comprising portions of said sheet material folded to definechannel-shaped configurations having spaced generally vertical sidewalls serving to guide a plurality of persons longitudinal of said slidesurface along parallel, side-byside courses or lanes;

(d) said slide units being respectively of longitudinally convex,concave or flat contour, and being joined end-to-end and side-by-side toform a series of downwardly sloping slide portions which accelerate aperson riding thereon and a series of flat slide units interposedtherebetween forming essentially horizontal slide portions, whichdecelerate a person riding thereon, said slide portions being such thatthe peak velocity of a person riding thereon is less than the velocitywhich would cause the person to become airborne;

(e) said slide units having at least a portion of one of saidchannel-shaped configurations extending along each longitudinal sideedge portion thereof, said fastening elements extending through saidside edge portions between said spaced side walls and being positionedentirely below the upper margins thereof whereby said side walls furtherfunction to shield persons sliding on said slide surface from contactwith said fastening elements.

8. An amusement slide as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said slideunits is provided with at least one further longitudinally extendingchannel-shaped guide means between and spaced from said longitudinaledge portions.

9. An amusement slide comprising:

(a) a supporting structure;

(b) a plurality of modular slide units defining a slide surfacecomprising a plurality of side-by-side courses or lanes, said slideunits being formed of sheet material and fixedly mounted on saidstructure by fastening elements;

(c) said slide surface being provided with longitudinally extendingguide means comprising portions of said sheet material folded to definechannel-shaped configurations having spaced generally vertical sidewalls serving to guide a plurality of persons longitudinal of said slidesurface along parallel, side-byside courses or lanes;

((1) said slide units being respectively of longitudinally convex,concave or flat contour, and being joined end-to-end and side-by-side toform a series of downwardly sloping slide portions which accelerate aperson riding thereon and at least one of said fiat contour units beingpositioned essentially horizontal, and on which a person decelerates,said slide portions being such that the peak velocity of a person ridingthereon is less than the velocity which would cause the person to becomeairborne;

(e) said slide units having at least a portion of one of saidchannel-shaped configurations extending along each longitudinal sideedge portion thereof, said fastening elements extending through saidside edge portions between said spaced side walls and being positionedentirely below the upper margins thereof whereby said side walls furtherfunction to shield persons sliding on said slide surface from contactwith said fastening elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,424,659 8/ 1922 Linder.2,224,405 12/ 1940 McIntyre 2725 6.5 X 3,363,583 1/1968 Greenberg27256.5 X D. 210,298 2/1968 Moulton.

FOREIGN PATENTS 828,157 2/ 1960 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner

